Electric discharge weapons apply an electric discharge to a human or animal target to stun and/or immobilize the target. In a conventional electric discharge weapon projectiles, called probes, may be launched by the weapon toward a target. The probes may be connected to the weapon by wires. When the probes make contact with the target, a high voltage circuit is completed to pass a current through the target. The current typically includes pulses having a magnitude controlled by the breakdown voltage of a spark gap in the high voltage circuit. Generally, the energy of the pulses is just sufficient to overpower the normal electrical signals transmitted over the nervous system of the target. Consequently, the target loses muscle control and is stunned or immobilized without serious injury. Spark gap breakdown voltage has been found to increase in the absence of illumination of the spark gap. Without an improved control for pulse energy, a risk of serious injury to targets cannot be further reduced.